Rethinking Stewardship to Create Better Donor Experiences

On average, nonprofits lose more than 60% of their donors every year, and an average of 80% of first-time donors don’t make a second gift. The number of donors has shrunk by 20% over the last 20 years and is continuing on a downward trajectory. Houston, we have a problem!

The donor churn we’re seeing in the sector creates unnecessary work for fundraisers and isn’t cost-effective for nonprofits, especially those with limited capacity. The commercial world spends billions to understand how to drive loyalty and strives to reach 90% customer retention. Why are we so far off as a sector?

This session will break down how we need to redefine stewardship from just sending thank you notes to more of a “donor experience” mindset that inspires and welcomes supporters in a radically different way to keep donors longer. Join Barbara O’Reilly of Windmill Hill Consulting and Nicholas Kristock, Founder of Fleece & Thank You, as they break down how we need to redefine our mindset around stewardship and how that applies to donor journeys. Whether you are looking to refine your donor experience or need first steps, this session will give you valuable and real-life takeaways.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand giving trends that are forcing fundraisers to think differently and could cause a crisis in the sector if not addressed.
• Identify ways to adapt current stewardship strategies to a new approach that centers donor retention and experience.
• Create the main donor journeys every organization should have along with the “nice to haves”.